Initial tour of Swamp Creek drainage proposal shows promise

BREWSTER – Director of Public Works Lee Webster addressed the city council's regular monthly meeting on Thursday, March 21, regarding the latest developments with the city’s campaign to study the Swamp Creek drainage to Rat Lake along Paradise Hill Road.

FEMA has focused on that drainage as a flood threat to Brewster on its updated preliminary flood plain map and has designated about half of the city as various degrees of floodway. Left unchallenged, that would impose onerous development restrictions in some areas and require property owners to carry flood insurance in others. 

The city is answering FEMA’s advisory with its own study to demonstrate that Brewster can control and mitigate any potential flood danger coming from Swamp Creek with measures to reroute or impound any excess water and convince FEMA to remove its floodway label.

Webster said he had a very productive meeting on March 14 with representatives of the National Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA, and DJ&A engineering, surveying, and environmental consultants from Missoula, Montana. The visit sets the stage for a Preliminary Investigation and Feasibility Report (PIFR) where specialists will examine the drainage to evaluate workable options that best meet the city’s goals.

 “This will be a pretty good-sized project, probably $10 million-plus,” said Webster. “It’s not a done deal yet, but I’m liking what I’m hearing.”

Webster said that over and above the drainage area there is some additional watershed funding available.

“The folks from NRCS would like to go further up the draw toward Rat Lake to do more stream rehab work,” said Webster. “The whole goal is to keep water in that drain, so it filters through and recharges our aquifer. There is a very large trails component in this program as well and I would love to see a trail that goes up there and ties our trails together.”

“This is huge for our citizens if we can keep from having to have flood insurance,” said Director of Finance Misty Ruiz. “I’m really proud of what the city is doing.”

“I might mention, too, that the PL-566 program for Swamp Creek is 100 percent federally funded,” Webster said.

The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention (WFPO) Program through the NRCS helps units of federal, state, local and federally recognized tribal governments (project sponsors) protect and restore watersheds.

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media